Pages

Jan 23, 2012

Make Your Own Pencil Project

I know some of you might think I'm mad.
I know some of you might think I'm crazy.
I know some of you might think I've lost the plot, because I know you can pick up a pencil for less than 50 cent in any corner newsagents. However, here's the thing.

I've always tried to suggest a number of craft ideas that you and any young child in your family could sit down together and pass a few hours on some rainy day. I've also loved finding ways of recycling old magazines or scraps of paper that end up in the recycling bin. To me, recycling is not just about sorting objects into the right coloured bin. Recycling is also about reusing.

This little project fits those 2 criteria and that's why I'm sharing it with you, courtesy of SCISSORS.PAPER.WOK (It also uses Mod Podge which rocks)

Here is a note on the supplies.
Paper: They recommend using 6″ origami paper but I think you could use any craft paper or magazine page that looks colourful. Why not try an old map too (you know how I feel about maps). Here is the exact product used in the tutorial in case you are a stickler for rules. Try out a few ideas as you might find the paper you use could be too thick and won't act as a skin when rolling the pencil.

Lead: Make sure you use a HB lead. If you use 2B leads or above, the lead may be too soft to roll without snapping.
I've looked around and found 12 tubes (that's 96 pieces of lead) for an unbelievable €4 plus €4 postage for sale on eBay here. That works out at about .08 cent per pencil.

You could even try out lots of different ideas.
Try placing twine between the layers to make a hook to hang it on something.
Use an ink stick instead of pencil lead.
Try a different size or different layers. The picture below is layered with different paper to fade from red to light pink.